A Different Destiny
by Cke1st
Summary: What if an unnamed French dragon's talons had found a different mark? What if it wasn't Levitas who received the mortal wounds that night? Rated K-plus because I think that's what "His Majesty's Dragon" would have gotten; the language is all K.
1. Chapter 1

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 1

 _A/N  
What if an unnamed French dragon's talons had found a different mark? What if it wasn't Levitas who received the mortal wounds that night?_

 **o**

The desperate messengers crash-landed in the courtyard of the covert, unable to slow themselves down in time. Dragon and rider skidded limply across the stones and plowed head-first into Maximus, who was sound asleep. The huge Regal Copper stirred in displeasure, took one sleepy glance at the relatively tiny Winchester who had disturbed his rest... and began bellowing for help.

In a matter of moments, men were running all over the courtyard. The doctor and three servants carried the savagely-wounded Captain Rankin to his chambers, where they labored to save his life. The dragon doctor did what he could for Levitas, and then left with a sad shake of his head, so Hollin took the remainder of the task upon himself (something he seemed to do very frequently with this dragon). He changed the bandages on the deep wounds as best he could, and tried to reassure the little dragon that all would be well.

"It hurts," Levitas chirped, obviously in agony. "Where is my captain? I would feel better if he was with me."

"The doctors are doing the best they can for him," Hollin said. That part was surely true. "He will come to see you as soon as he is able." That part was most likely a lie. Rankin had lost too much blood; his chances of survival were woefully slim.

Hollin looked around and spotted a handful of cadets, standing at a distance and staring at the ruined dragon who lay curled up on the stones. "Roland! Do something useful, why don't you? Fetch me some rags to pack these wounds, before the poor dragon bleeds to death!"

"I'll get you some sheets," she said as she turned and ran for the laundry area, with Dyer hot on her heels. They returned in a few minutes with a stack of worn-out but clean sheets that had been destined for cutting up into cleaning rags.

"Well done," Hollin said tersely as he worked to re-bind and cover the ghastly wounds. It was incredible that the Winchester had been able to fly at all in such a state, never mind to manage a clumsy but safe landing that did no further injury to his already-wounded rider. Hollin was in no wise certain that the dragon would outlive that rider. But Rankin had neglected his beast for far too long, and now he was unable to do anything for Levitas even if he wished to do so. Hollin was the closest thing to a real friend that Levitas had, even though the Winchester remained devoted to his own rider. No one cared about this dragon except him (and, to a lesser extent, Laurence). He might be helping the creature to survive, or he might merely be easing his passing, but he had to try.

He did his best, and it seemed to do some good; the flow of blood had slowed. He changed the bandages again after a few minutes, more for his own peace of mind than for any good they might do. Now it was a question of whether the dragon, with the famously strong constitution common to all dragons, could withstand the shock of his injuries. That was totally out of Hollin's hands. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Levitas?" he asked.

"Please find out... if my captain is going to be all right," Levitas said, so softly that Hollin nearly couldn't hear him.

He turned to the cadets, who were still watching silently. "Can one of you –"

"I'll go find out," Roland said, and was gone a moment later. It took nearly half an hour before she returned. She approached from behind Levitas so he couldn't see her, got Hollin's attention, and shook her head gravely. Hollin nodded and said nothing.

She stepped around the dragon; now Hollin could see that she was carrying a shallow pan of water. "Maybe he's thirsty," she suggested.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hollin asked the dragon.

"Yes... that would be nice... thank you." The dragon's voice was very weak. Emily set the pan down near the dragon's head, and Hollin helped hold that head up so Levitas could drink. He took several slurps, then pulled away. "That was... very kind. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hollin and Roland said in unison.

In Rankin's chambers, the doctor did what he could, which wasn't much. The wounded man slipped in and out of consciousness, murmuring about treasures and battle honors and ungrateful dragons. No one stood watch outside his door, or paced back and forth nervously out of fear that he might not survive. Shortly after sunrise, the doctor stepped out of the room, firmly closed the door, and walked down the halls to find Admiral Lenton.

"Sir, I beg to report that Jeremy Rankin, rider to Levitas, is no more," he said, unwilling to use the word "captain" when referring to Rankin.

"He died the death of a hero, which is probably what he would have chosen," Lenton answered without emotion. "His family will give him an elaborate funeral and speak countless platitudes about what a wonderful man he was. What of Levitas?"

"I do not know; I was attending to Rankin."

"Please send me word on the small dragon's condition." The doctor nodded and left, painfully aware of the admiral's concern about the dragon and his apathy toward the man. About an hour later, a tired-looking Emily Roland approached the aged admiral.

"Beggin' your pardon, sir, but I was told to bring you word about Levitas. The Winchester."

Lenton bent down to look her in the eye. "What word do you bring?"

"Well, sir, he's hurt real bad, but Mister Hollin thinks maybe he's going to make it. He's talking a little, and he's asking for his captain. The Lord only knows why!" she added with disgust.

"De mortuis nil nisi bonum," Lenton reminded her.

Emily furrowed her brow. "Sorry, sir, but I don't understand you."

"Speak only good of the dead," he translated.

"Rankin is dead?" She bit down on her excited shout and forced herself not to leap for joy. "Why didn't you say that the first time, sir?"

"I did. You haven't studied Latin?"

"Not yet, sir," she answered. "The older enlisted men all say Latin is boring and we don't need it anymore."

"The older enlisted men don't know everything," the older man intoned. "At the very least, a knowledge of Latin will help you understand the names of the dragons. Celeritas, for example, means 'speed.' Levitas means 'levity' or 'light-heartedness.' "

"I see, sir," Emily nodded. "What does 'Lily' mean?"

Lenton snorted. "It means you're a young troublemaker, and Excidium is going to have his hands full when your day comes to ride him. Except that he has no hands."

"Mother says I'm a handful already."

"I have no doubt of _that,_ Cadet Roland," Lenton replied. "No doubt whatsoever. That's the end of your Latin lesson for the day. Please attend to Levitas, and bring me word at once if his condition changes."

"I will, sir," she nodded as she scampered off.

Minutes passed into hours. The other cadets left to attend to their duties; Emily stayed. Laurence came looking for his missing ground-crew chief, and found Hollin sitting next to the injured Winchester, stroking his head and praising his courage. He looked up at Laurence. "I can't just leave him, sir," he tried to explain. "I know I've got my duty, but with Rankin gone, there's no one left to care for him."

"That isn't much of a change from when Rankin was alive," Laurence exclaimed with a rare public show of emotion. "No, of course you're doing the right thing." He noticed Emily standing nearby. "Do you require Roland's services as well?"

"Sir, she's been a great help to me, and to Levitas as well. I know you're supposed to fly patrol today, but if you can spare her for the rest of the morning, I think it will be good for the dragon."

"The Admiral ordered me to attend to Levitas," Emily added.

Laurence nodded slowly. "Roland, see to it that you obey Mister Hollin in everything. The moment he says he no longer needs you, you must return to Temeraire and your usual duties."

"Yes, sir," Emily answered. Her attention was on the dragon.

Hours went by. Emily brought breakfast to the weary ground-crew chief so he didn't have to leave Levitas' side. Hollin tried to stay awake after a long night and a long day, but he finally slumped over against the dragon and slept a restless sleep. Roland sat next to him, and when Levitas stirred and asked for his captain, she answered, "We've got to get you better first." She stroked his muzzle, which was one of the few unscarred places on him. He gazed at her with an appreciative eye, then slipped back into unconsciousness.

When Hollin awoke, the day was more than half spent. He blinked, realized where he was, and hurriedly checked the dragon's bandages. The bleeding seemed to be under control. "Roland, go fetch the dragon doctor," he ordered. "Tell him Levitas is still alive, and maybe stitching him up will be worth the trouble now." Emily nodded and ran to find the doctor. She found him attending to a Yellow Reaper who had taken some claw cuts in a skirmish over the Channel.

"Still alive? Very well, then. I shall have to fetch some extra silks, and I will need an assistant to pass me my instruments as I need them. My usual assistant is on a training flight with Praecursoris. Where can I find someone on short notice who's sure of hand, accustomed to dragons, and unafraid of the sight of blood?"

"Sir, I think I could do it," Emily said timidly.

"Indeed? Well, we shall see. I am almost done here; I will begin working on Levitas in fifteen minutes. If you can, I suggest that you change into some clothing which you will not be sorry to see stained." She nodded and raced for her quarters.

The operation lasted nearly three hours. The doctor needed those extra silks for suturing the dragon's many wounds, and he needed extra opium to keep the dragon sedated as well. Hollin and Roland served as his assistants, taking turns napping while the other passed the sutures and operating tools to the doctor. By the time they were done, all three were spattered with Levitas' blood, and their hands were shaking.

Admiral Lenton stopped by afterwards for a report. "Will the dragon live?" he asked.

"Sir, I don't rightly know how he got home in the first place," the doctor said with an emphatic shake of his grey head. "The damage to those muscles... I just don't understand it. Yes, if he's survived this long, he ought to make it. But I very much doubt if he'll ever fly again."

"A pity," the Admiral said sadly. "Levitas deserved better than that. And with this dark hour upon us, England needs every dragon she can get. Even a small Winchester could make the difference between victory and defeat when Boney comes for us. Pray let me know when Levitas wakes up. Rankin is gone and can't tell us what he saw when he crossed the Channel, but perhaps the dragon can give us some useful intelligence."

"It may be a while, sir, but I'll send word when the dragon awakes." He glanced at Hollin and Roland, who were both passed out from exhaustion and lying on the stony ground nearby. "Shall I notify you when they awake as well?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 2

Levitas woke slowly from the opium's influence. He was clearly confused by the many pains in his sides and back. His head slowly waved back and forth as he surveyed his recently-stitched injuries. Hollin had stepped out to use the necessary, leaving Emily Roland to keep the injured Winchester company.

"How do you feel, Mister Levitas?" she asked after a few moments.

"I hurt all over," Levitas replied. "What of my captain? Is he all right?"

Emily began to answer, then stopped herself. Was it her place to deliver such bad news?

Levitas tried to stand, but winced and slumped back to the ground. "You must tell me," he said urgently. "When will my captain come to see me? Was he badly hurt? Did I fail him in some way?"

"No, sir, you didn't fail him," Emily exclaimed. She slowed down and chose her words carefully. "Everyone says you were very brave, and it's a miracle that you got your rider home. But sometimes... even a miracle ain't enough."

"No," Levitas sobbed. "No! Oh, _no!"_ That was all he could say, over and over again, for several minutes. Emily had never seen a dragon cry before; the idea that such huge creatures could feel such weakness disturbed her. After a few seconds, she embraced the Winchester's head, which was nearly the size of her torso. He pushed back against her, which nearly knocked her over, then closed his eyes and wept uncontrollably.

Hollin rejoined them after a few minutes. "He knows?" he asked quietly.

"He knows," Emily whispered. Hollin stroked the dragon's neck and said nothing more. They let him cry it out, but the dragon was inconsolable.

At last, Levitas tried to bring himself under control. "What shall I do without my captain?" he wailed. "What shall I do?" Hollin and Emily didn't try to answer.

Instead, Hollin turned to the young cadet. "The Admiral wanted to know as soon as Levitas woke up. Run and fetch him." She nodded and ran to find Lenton. They returned, along with Jane Roland, at about the same time as the doctor came to check on his patient. Laurence also entered the area at this time, searching for his wayward ground-crew chief and his missing runner. Levitas focused on the admiral, whose gold-fringed epaulets stood out in the small crowd.

"Admiral, sir, what shall I do without my captain?" he begged.

"Levitas, there is one very important thing you can do," Lenton answered earnestly. He stood in front of the dragon so he wasn't in the way while the doctor checked the stitches. "You and your rider were hurt while you were scouting the French army's secrets. If you can tell us what you saw, then Rankin didn't die for nothing. You can give your rider's death some meaning, and gain a kind of revenge on the ones who killed him. What can you tell us of what you saw in France?"

Levitas tried to remember as he sniffled, while the others held their breath. Winchesters were not bred for intelligence. Even if he remembered anything after the physical and emotional horrors he'd just gone through, he might not be able to communicate what he'd seen in a way that meant anything to the humans.

"We saw ships," he finally said. "Lots of ships. On the land."

"Were they big ships?" Laurence cut in.

"Yes, they were much bigger than me." That wasn't very useful; even a fishing smack was bigger than a Winchester.

"Why would they build ships on land?" Hollin wondered. "Ships need water, the last time I looked."

"What else do you remember about those ships?" Lenton pressed him.

"Well... the ships weren't finished," Levitas went on. "They didn't have... those things that stand straight up."

"Masts?" Laurence exclaimed.

"I suppose so," the dragon nodded hesitantly. "They had things sticking out to the sides instead."

"That means nothing to me," Laurence admitted. "Oars, perhaps?"

"Did you notice anything else about those ships?" the admiral repeated. "Anything at all?"

"No, not really." The dragon winced in pain, then yawned. "I am terribly, terribly tired, and very sad. May I rest?"

"An injured dragon needs his rest," the doctor agreed.

"But this could be critical to the survival of England!" Lenton burst out. "We've got to find out what he saw, and what it means!"

"I really don't remember anything else," Levitas said sadly.

"Wait a moment," Jane said thoughtfully. "Levitas, did your captain say anything about those ships when he saw them?"

"No, I don't think he... no, wait a moment. He said something that didn't make any sense. He said something about 'ships and flutes.' I saw a person play a flute once, and it sounded very pretty. But there weren't any flute players near the ships."

"Ships and flutes?" Lenton echoed. "You're right, that doesn't make any sense at all."

"I think he might have said, 'Ships _en flute,' "_ Laurence corrected him. "That means warships with their cannons removed, so they can serve as troop transports."

"Troop transports..." Lenton went pale. "Good lord, _that's_ what Napoleon is up to! Those ships don't have any masts because they won't need them. His dragons are going to carry them right across the Channel! Our entire fleet couldn't stop him if they tried. Laurence, how many men can a warship carry?"

"It depends on the size of the ship," Laurence answered quickly. "If they're double-deckers, I'd say seven or eight hundred easily, perhaps a thousand or more if they slung hammocks. A big triple-decker could carry as many as two thousand men for a short trip."

Lenton did the numbers in his head. "He could put his entire army on our shores in a matter of hours. With artillery."

"And only our dragons can stop him," Captain Roland added. "Our badly-outnumbered dragons."

"We shall do what we can," Lenton said firmly. "Napoleon will need a south wind to make his scheme work, and the wind is out of the north today. We shall put scouts in the air at all hours to give us some warning, while the fighting dragons must be ready to fly at a moment's notice. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire should last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' " They scattered, except for Emily and the dragon.

"I didn't do something bad, did I?" he asked her.

"Oh, no, you did something very good," she reassured him. "It's the French who are trying to do something bad. Thanks to you, now we know what they're up to, so we can try and stop 'em."

"There will be a battle," Levitas nodded dully. "And I have no captain! How shall I fly? How shall I fight?"

She didn't tell him the doctor's prognosis; he'd had enough bad news for one day. "You're still so banged up, they won't let you fly. The best thing you can do is rest and get better."

"Yes, I suppose you are right," Levitas nodded as he lay down. "I am frightfully tired, and so very, very sad." He yawned hugely, closed his eyes, tried to get comfortable, and slowly nodded off to sleep.

"Rest, Mister Levitas," Emily said softly. "You've earned it. Chances are, you're going to need it."

Back in Admiral Lenton's office, the admiral turned to Roland and Laurence. "You win some and you lose some, I suppose. Rankin won't be missed, but he picked the worst possible time to die and take a dragon out of commission."

"What do you mean by, 'you win some?' " Jane asked him.

"I've gotten word that a Yellow Reaper egg is showing signs of hatching early," Lenton replied. "Normally, that would be the best news, but scrambling to find a suitable rider on short notice, while planning for the battle of our lives at the same time, is no easy task."

"Sir, if you want a man who will be a credit to the service, send Mr. Hollin," Laurence said suddenly. "I would vouch for him with my life."

"Your ground-crew master? I would have to send him to Chatham immediately. Can you spare the man on the eve of battle?"

Laurence did not have to think too hard about that. "My crew are well-trained and ready, sir. We can do this. If the dragon egg cannot wait, then do what you must; we will be ready to fight when the call comes."

"Very good, then. I shall issue the necessary orders. But there is one other concern: Levitas, the injured dragon. He has no captain now, and experience has shown us that a wounded dragon will heal much more rapidly when under the active care of his rider. An unsupervised dragon will nearly always try to rush the healing process, in his eagerness to return to the air, and re-injure himself. Levitas cannot afford to do this; his injuries were nearly fatal, and should he re-open those wounds, he certainly would not survive. I see that your Mr. Hollin has been caring for the beast. Who will step into that role when I send him away?"

"Well, sir, my cadet runner, Roland, has also taken an interest in Levitas' care. I think she would be happy for a temporary assignment such as this. It would certainly be a positive step for her career, and it will be good training for the day when she steps into her mother's shoes as Excidium's captain."

"You'll be short two crewmen when we're on the verge of fighting for the life of England, Laurence! Do you really think this is wise?"

"We shall be short but one crewman, sir. Emily can rejoin Temeraire's crew on short notice when summoned. She's quick."

 **o**

The dragons returned from the Battle of Dover by ones and twos, bringing word of a great victory. All anyone could talk about was Temeraire and his newfound ability to destroy things from a distance by unleashing a special roar at them.

"Nobody knew he could do that!" Cadet Dyer exclaimed. "Not even him!"

"But he sure picked a good time to figure it out," Emily answered.

"It's a bit of a _deus ex machina,_ eh?" Admiral Lenton chuckled.

"A what, sir?"

"There's another good reason to learn Latin, Cadet Roland. You'll be able to understand your commanding admiral when he quotes from the classics."

"Yes, sir." She turned to Laurence, unconvinced. "Sir, I ought to check on Levitas. He's been alone ever since we left to fight the battle."

Laurence nodded. "I'm sure the doctor has checked up on him, but yes, go and see him. Report back to me if you will need to stay with him for any length of time." Emily nodded and left at a run.

She returned about fifteen minutes later. "Sir, Levitas is twice as sad as before. He misses his captain, and he missed the battle, too. Can I... I mean, I think I ought to stay with him for a while."

"Is there any useful work that you need to do for him?" Laurence asked.

"Well, somebody has to bring him his food, 'cause he can't catch it by himself. And I probably should cut it up in pieces for him, 'cause he needs his forefeet to hold a dead animal down while he eats it, and he can't use his forelegs yet while his muscles are healing. And he'll need me to bring him water when he's thirsty, too. And I'll have to... you know... shovel up after him sometimes."

"It does not sound as though you're choosing soft work for yourself," he nodded. "Report back to me after Levitas has finished his meal, and tell me of his progress."

"Yes, sir. I will!" she exclaimed over her shoulder as she ran back toward where Levitas was recovering.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 3

"Come in, Laurence. Have a seat." Admiral Lenton sounded relaxed, but he did not look the part. Laurence took the wooden chair that the admiral indicated, adjusted his uniform jacket, and waited to see what this official summons was about.

"I have good news, and I have bad news," Lenton began, without any social niceties. "The good news is that your Mr. Hollin got to the hatching of his egg with time to spare, and he has successfully harnessed his Yellow Reaper. He has named her Betsy. An unconventional name, to be sure... but I scarcely need speak to _you,_ of all people, about unconventional names for dragons."

"That is certainly good news, sir," Laurence nodded. He knew that most aviators still raised an eyebrow at his own dragon's name, but he no longer felt defensive about it, now that Temeraire had made a name for himself in battle. As for Hollin, he had assumed that his former ground-crew master would pair off with the newly-hatched dragon because those were the official arrangements. But his own life was testimony to the fact that dragons did not always agree with the humans' preference in riders. He had no regrets about that, personally, but his hope that Hollin would be accepted by the dragonet could be nothing but hope until he heard the news that it had come to pass. Now he had heard that news, and it was good news indeed. He waited for the other shoe to fall.

"The bad news," Lenton continued, trying to sound offhand about it, "is that your cadet, Emily Roland, has done wonders with Levitas. We had thought that the dragon would have to be sent to the breeding grounds immediately for lack of a rider. Rankin was no prude, but he sired no children, or at least none who will so acknowledge themselves, so there is no one to put forward as a possible replacement for him on Levitas' back. Usually, in such cases, the dragon will not accept a stranger as a substitute for the captain he has lost, and becomes useless to us.

"But your Emily, as I said, has done wonders. Levitas is still mopey and depressed when left to his own devices, but he visibly brightens when Emily appears. She has learned to change his bandages, and he lets her do it without argument. They spend several hours together each day, and she is encouraging him to begin working his injured muscles. I think she means for him to fly again, the doctor's gloomy predictions notwithstanding."

Laurence's brow furrowed. "But... you said this was bad news. It sounds all to the good."

Lenton leaned forward sharply. "Have you forgotten why Cadet Roland is in the Aerial Corps? Have you forgotten the reason for her very existence? She is destined to become Excidium's captain upon her mother's eventual retirement from the Corps. How can she become a Longwing's captain if she is pairing herself with that Winchester? Either she will remain with Levitas and leave Excidium without a future rider, or she will follow her destiny with Excidium and leave Levitas doubly devastated by the loss of two friends in quick succession. I am not sure the dragon would want to live after such a blow. This is a sticky wicket of the worst kind, Laurence. Cadet Roland is a member of your crew; if you can think of any way to resolve this predicament without making things worse, I should be most grateful."

"Isn't she rather young for such a position?" Laurence wondered.

"Technically, yes, but the dragons seldom stick at such details," Lenton said with a shrug. "I have known younger men than her who were chosen by a dragon. When that happens, the other captains help out until the young captain is old enough to take on the responsibility by himself. You could well find yourself in that awkward position, assisting and guiding your former runner as she learns how to occupy a place equivalent to yours."

Laurence temporised. "What does Emily think of the situation? Does she have a preference between one destiny and the other?"

"I've not asked her," the admiral replied. "I thought it inappropriate to speak to your crewmember behind your back."

"Well, I shall certainly sound her out," Laurence promised. "And I shall report to you as soon as I have acquired some facts worth reporting."

"Please do," Lenton nodded. "We must know how this will play out before we allow her to get Levitas back in the air. Once the two of them fly together, it is a near-certainty that they will want to remain together. The dragon is nowhere near fully healed or air-worthy, but time is not on our side. Please see to this matter personally, Laurence. A great deal is at stake here."

"I shall do that, sir." Laurence recognized the signs of dismissal, rose, and left the office. He had some work to do.

First, he decided to sound out Temeraire on the subject. After all, the problem certainly involved a dragon, and Temeraire might very well have something to say on the subject. The great black reptile listened attentively as Laurence described the issue to him.

"Well, I do not see much of a problem," Temeraire decided. "Levitas is not the most intelligent dragon I have ever encountered, but he is kind-hearted and deserving of some happiness, which he certainly did not find with Rankin. Should Emily choose him, what of it?"

"The problem is that Excidium is a far more valuable dragon than Levitas," Laurence tried to explain. "Should he become riderless, the effect on England would be of much greater consequence than the loss of a Winchester."

"That may well be so," Temeraire nodded. "But England is an abstraction, while Levitas is quite real, and so is Cadet Roland. England is managed by the Government, a concept I am growing to dislike, whereas Levitas is managed by a heart that beats, and bleeds, and longs for human friendship. Is it right to place his desires on a lower level, simply because he is not deemed so important by the Government?"

"There is more to it than that, my friend," Laurence said. "There are also Excidium's desires to consider."

Temeraire snorted out the side of his mouth, which ruffled his tendrils. That was not a gesture that dragons used; he must have learned it from one of his human acquaintances. "Excidium barely knows whether Cadet Roland exists. He knows that his own rider has taken steps to keep him content after her own demise or retirement, but he has no relationship at all with the daughter of Captain Roland. That captain is still young and in good health, as I am sure you are aware," and Temeraire paused and gave Laurence an intent glance that made Laurence blush. _How much does he know about me and Jane?_ he wondered. The Celestial went on, "Barring a calamity, there is no need to consider Excidium's future rider today, whereas Levitas' need for a human friend is immediate. The correct choice seems quite clear to me."

"You speak from the heart, my friend, and you do so quite well," Laurence replied. "But there is also the question of duty. The very reason Emily Roland exists is to become Excidium's captain someday. That is her role and her destiny, and she has never challenged it before. My fear is that she is making an emotional decision without considering all the implications of her choice. That would scarely come as a surprise; one so young is given to emotional decisions and has difficulty considering distant implications. Our role is to guide her into what is best."

"Indeed," Temeraire nodded. "But best for who?"

Laurence sighed. "Temeraire, you have an absolute gift for asking difficult questions! Were you not needed in battle, I think you might become a philosopher, and in such a role, you might well challenge the best that England has to offer. As for me, I am no philosopher. I am but a military man, whom luck has favored with the friendship of the most amazing dragon in all the world, and it is my lot in life to sort out these difficult questions in terms of duty and responsibility. Can you see that, when viewed solely through that lens, Emily's duty is clear?"

"How do you perceive Levitas' duty?" the dragon asked pointedly.

"Well, I... I do not know," he admitted. "An English dragon's duty is to fly and fight for England, I suppose."

"And if that is his duty," Temeraire pressed him, "then how can he fulfill it without a human captain?"

"If the only possible human captain is in contention between two dragons, then the more valuable dragon should win her services, and the other... oh, bother! Temeraire, it would be so easy to see these things in simple terms. Must you muddy the waters so?"

"You say I muddy the waters, but I only wish to make them more clear," the dragon said. He sounded hurt. Laurence rushed to hug the huge muzzle.

"Oh, my friend, I am sorry; I have accused you falsely. If the waters of this issue are muddy, it is none of your doing. I had hoped to find a simple solution to the problem, but you have helped me to see that there is no such solution. I suppose I ought to speak to Emily herself before I rush to judgment."

"That sounds wise," Temeraire rumbled softly.

Finding Emily Roland was not difficult. Levitas had claimed a corner of the main courtyard as his own. The sun shone there for much of the day, and the warmth was pleasing to his injured skin. The other dragons, even the much bigger ones who would normally take the best napping places as a matter of course, gave him way. When he was fully healed, he would probably have to give up his space to a larger dragon, but for now, they acknowledged his need to recover from his wounds. He spent his days and his nights there, and Emily spent much of her time there with him. Laurence found them there now.

She was explaining to Levitas why she would soon try to learn Latin, and seeking his opinion on the subject. He looked confused. "I don't understand why, friend Emily. We all speak English, and we all understand each other. Why will you learn to speak a language that most of us don't know?"

"Most of the officers understand Latin," she replied. "Someday I'm going to be an officer, so I think I ought to do what officers do. I think Temeraire has learned the basics of it, too."

"Temeraire is so big, and so very smart," Levitas said with a touch of sadness. "I could never be like him. If you learn this other language, I won't be able to talk to you anymore."

"No, silly!" Emily chuckled. "I'll still speak English, same as always. I'll just speak some Latin, too."

"Oh," said Levitas, clearly relieved.

Laurence hated to interrupt this peaceful scene, but duty called. "Good morning," he began. Girl and dragon looked up, startled.

"Good morning, sir," she began. "Do you need me for something?"

"No, but I must speak to you for a few minutes about something important. Privately," he added.

"Okay." She gave Levitas' head an affectionate stroke. "I'll be back in a while."

"When you return, will you tell me the story of the princess and the pea again?" he asked hopefully. "I like that one."

"All right, if that's what you want." She turned and nodded to Laurence; they walked some distance away.

"The princess and the pea?" he asked, amused.

"When I'm with him, I have to do most of the talking or it gets too quiet," she explained. "I tried telling him about famous battles, but he isn't so interested in those. He says he can't see them in his head, so they confuse him. So I tried little kids' fairy tales, and he really likes those. I could tell him the same story five times a day, and he'd like it every time. I can only remember a few of them, and I try not to repeat them too much, just so I don't get sick of 'em."

"It's true that the Winchesters, like the Greylings, are not the cleverest of the dragons," Laurence nodded. Inwardly, he realized how incredibly fortunate he'd been. To be chosen as a dragon's captain hadn't been part of his grand plan for life, but at least he'd been chosen by an intelligent one, with whom he could converse as an equal. If he'd harnessed a dragon of limited intellect like a Winchester, he quite likely would have gone mad.

"About that Winchester, though," he went on. "It appears that the two of you are growing quite close."

"He needs a friend," she said simply.

"Quite so. Have you considered the implications of becoming Levitas' friend?"

Emily's brow furrowed. "I don't take your meaning, sir."

"Levitas was lonely, even while his captain was alive. Now he is desolate. He is desperate for any kind of companionship, and, as I explained a few days ago, an injured dragon needs a human to keep him from trying to rush the healing process. What you are doing with Levitas is important, and you are doing a good job of it. The problem is that he is growing attached to you."

"Why is that a problem, sir?"

"I remind you that your destiny is to become Excidium's captain someday."

"Well, why would that be... uhh... sir, are you saying that Levitas might want _me_ to be his new captain?"

"Yes, Roland, that is exactly what I am saying."

"But I thought dragons wouldn't take a new rider unless the new one was related to the old one."

Laurence nodded. "That is how it usually works, or so I am told. But every dragon makes up his own mind in matters like these. Levitas likes you, and your kindness is having a disproportionate impact on him because his former captain neglected him so badly. You are well on the way to winning him over. Captain Chenery is of the opinion that, if you are not Levitas' new captain before a month has passed, the only reason would be because you have not asked him for the privilege. He will not ask you; he is naturally too shy. So the decision will lie with you."

She thought for a moment. "So if I have to ride Excidium, then I can't stay a special friend to Levitas, right?"

"Precisely. You must choose between them, young Emily, and you must do so before Levitas begins to think of you as more than just a friend."

She thought some more. "If I leave him, he'll be even sadder than he was before."

"That is true," Laurence nodded.

"But if I stay with him, then someday, Excidium will be just as sad some day," she continued. "He's the reason Mother bore me and brought me into the Corps, so he sort of has first claim on me, even though he doesn't know me very well."

"This is also true," he nodded again.

"So I'm stuck in the middle, between two dragons," she concluded. "One of them needs me now, and the other one will need me later, and there's only one of me to go around."

"I see that you understand the problem now, Emily. I will not lie and tell you that a solution will be easy. If I were in your shoes, I cannot guess what my own answer would be. I know only that you must make up your mind between the two."

"Sir, isn't there anyone else who wants to be Levitas' friend? If I have to leave him, then I don't want him to be all by himself."

Laurence shook his head grimly. "If Levitas was a healthy dragon, then I could name twenty young men who would willingly fight duels with each other, even though dueling is not allowed in the Corps, for the privilege of harnessing him. But to befriend an injured dragon who will probably never fly again? No one would willingly take on such a task with no hope of reward. The Admiral will not order anyone to harness him; such a decision would end that young man's career. Mr. Hollin might have undertaken to be Levitas' friend when he could spare a few moments from his ground-crew duties, but Hollin has his own dragon now. For Levitas, I fear it is to be you or no one."

"But it will be the same for Excidium – me or no one!" she burst out. "What am I supposed to do? There's only one of me!"

Laurence had no answer. Then she had another thought. "Will Excidium get mad at me when he finds I'm taking care of Levitas? Or will he get mad at Levitas?"

"I doubt that either case will occur," Laurence said, glad to finally know at least one answer. "Your mother is Excidium's captain. He knows that you are destined for him someday, but he does not have any kind of special relationship with you, or at least not yet. He would not get jealous over you the way Temeraire got jealous over me."

"That's good news, I guess," she said with a shrug, "but it doesn't solve my problem."

"Speaking of your mother, she is a clever woman. What does she think of this dilemma of yours?"

"I haven't talked to her about it. I didn't even think about it until now. I don't think she's going to be happy when she hears about it. She's put a lot of work into making me her replacement someday." For half a moment, Emily Roland actually looked nervous. "Could you... could you talk to her about it first? So she isn't surprised when I come to her?"

Laurence could not believe his ears. "Are you asking me to be a go-between, between you and your own mother?"

"Please?" she almost begged him. "Sir?"

"What do you want me to tell her, Emily? You aren't even close to making a decision."

"Just tell her about the problem, I guess. And tell her I haven't decided yet! I know she had me so I could take her place someday, and if you can fix it so she isn't mad because I'm thinking about doing something else, that would be good."

 _This sounds hideously awkward,_ he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "Very well. I will try. I can promise you nothing, though."

"I haven't promised anybody anything yet, either," she answered cheekily. "In a way, that's the problem, ain't it?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 4

Captain Jane Roland could sometimes be intimidating. That was due in part to the necessity of being tough enough to survive in a man's world, and in part to her own nature. Laurence was unsure which part was lighting the fire in her eyes now.

"How could she _do_ such a thing?!" Roland demanded. "Emily knows her part in the long-term plan! She knows her destiny! There has never been any doubt in her mind, or in anyone else's mind, why she is in the Aerial Corps. She is the future captain of Excidium, a Longwing, the most powerful dragon in England! No offense intended, Laurence. And now you tell me that she is on the verge of throwing it all away, in exchange for a Winchester who can't even fly? Where did she ever get such a foolish notion?" Her eyes narrowed. "Not from _you,_ I sincerely hope!"

"Certainly not!" he blurted out, holding up his hands as though to ward her off. "I have neither encouraged nor suggested anything of the kind, I promise you. I merely gave her my permission to care for Levitas as he recovers from his injuries. This growing bond between them is nothing of my doing."

"And what of Excidium's wishes?" she went on. "I don't suppose anyone has thought to ask his opinion, as though he was completely uninvolved with the question?"

"Speaking to your dragon would be your role, Captain Roland, wouldn't it?" Laurence asked diffidently.

"Oh, don't take that tone with me, Laurence," she mock-scolded. "I confess I'm a bit put out by this discovery, and by the fact that I'm apparently the last one to know about it, but I don't blame you for any of it. Emily has a mind of her own; she's too much like her mother in some ways. How long has this been going on?"

Laurence considered. "It was a bit more than a fortnight ago that Levitas and Rankin came back from that fateful mission. Emily attached herself to Levitas almost from the moment he landed. Part of that was Mr. Hollin's doing; he needed a runner, and Emily either volunteered or was conscripted, I am not sure which. From there, it was her own desire to spend more time with the dragon as he began to heal. I encouraged her at first because no one else showed any concern for Levitas, and I was unwilling to lose the dragon for a lack of human care. As soon as the admiral brought the implications of the situation to my attention, I spoke to Emily about it. She asked me to speak to you so you won't be caught by surprise when she comes to you."

"The admiral had to bring the situation to your attention?" Roland asked dangerously. "A situation involving your own ground-crew runner? Why didn't you notice the situation yourself?"

Laurence flung up his hands. "Honestly, Jane, I've been so busy with Temeraire, I have scarcely noticed my own mealtimes! Ever since the battle, everyone wants to learn more about his Divine Wind ability. They want to test his accuracy and his maximum range, find out how he affects different materials, and run so many other experiments, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Royal Society had established an office in our covert. Between that, the need to break in a new ground-crew master, and the usual formation-flying drills, I but barely have time to breathe. Emily's situation did elude me, I confess, but I hope that my guilt is not so great as to merit a court-martial."

Some of the fire left Roland's eyes. "Do you merit a court-martial? Probably not. Do you merit a mother's anger regarding the state of her only daughter? Perhaps. Still, the situation lies before us and we must deal with it." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Speculate, if you would. Were she compelled to make her choice today, how do you think she would decide?"

"If she had to make up her mind today... then I think she would choose Levitas," he replied.

"Why?" Roland demanded.

"Emily is a very practical girl, not given to sentimentality even when her emotions are engaged. Levitas needs her today and Excidium does not. Any other considerations would be secondary to her."

"Do you think you could influence her away from that decision?"

Laurence considered that. "I could give her an order, and I believe she would obey, albeit reluctantly. But, if there was any kind of loophole in that order that would allow her to do as she wished, then she would find that loophole and she would exploit it without mercy. Beyond that, I do not think I have that kind of influence over her. I am not convinced that anyone does. She has a strong sense of duty, and she sees her duty as caring for the injured Winchester. The promise of a greater destiny tomorrow would not dissuade her from her perception of her duty today."

Jane shook her head sadly. "She is far too much like her mother. How much time do we have before her decision is irrevocable?"

"Levitas is healing better than expected, and Emily is partly to be thanked for that. The doctor informs me that, if the dragon's injured muscles continue to heal at this rate, he will be able to try flying again after about a month, half of which has already gone by. Admiral Lenton tells me that, once Emily and the dragon fly together, they will quite likely be inseparable. That gives us two weeks to convince her to do something she does not wish to do, with implications that will last for her entire life, when she is scarcely old enough to look beyond the end of this week." He took a deep breath. "Were I a gambling man, I would not wager much on our chances of success."

"Nor I," Jane nodded. "Fortunately, there are other actions we might take, should the situation warrant it." She glanced over her shoulder at something on the wall. "Well, there's nothing to be done about it today. While you're here, would you care for a glass of wine?"

"I would be a most ill-mannered guest if I were to refuse," he nodded. Jane usually served an above-average wine. After the stresses of dealing with Emily's situation, he needed it.

 **o**

Two days later, Lily's formation returned to the Loch Laggan covert to complete the training that the attempted French invasion had interrupted. Temeraire flew north with Levitas on his back; the dragon doctor had decided that the slightly colder air at Loch Laggan would be more than offset by the heated stones in the courtyard, in terms of their effects on the wounded dragon's healing. Emily rode beside Levitas. She had to repeatedly warn him not to spread his wings to catch the wind as they flew. "Your wing muscles haven't mended themselves enough yet," she kept telling him. "You could hurt yourself and you'd have to start healing all over."

"But I want to fly!" he whined.

"You'll fly when the time is right," she reassured him, and patted his muzzle. "I know you will."

"The doctor said I probably would not."

She stroked his neck. "Doctors don't know everything. Have hope, Levitas." He sadly lay flat on Temeraire's back and watched the scenery go by beneath them.

When they landed, the dragons and their riders reported to Celeritas, while Levitas found a warm corner of the courtyard and curled up for a nap. Emily was kept busy running errands for Laurence and the other crewmen who rode Temeraire, and she could not spend any time with the Winchester. When she finally had some time to visit him, he was curled up in a tight ball and looked quite forlorn.

"I thought you had forgotten about me," he said wistfully.

"I could never forget about you, silly!" she exclaimed. "Look! I brought you a snack. It's a few leftover cuts of the beef from the officers' table. It seemed a shame to throw 'em away, so I brought them to you." He allowed her to feed him, tossing him the slices of meat one at a time as his mouth clomped shut on each bite.

"I don't suppose you could eat more quietly?" rumbled Maximus as he lounged nearby.

"He needs to keep his strength up," she explained over her shoulder, as though that had anything to do with how loudly the Winchester ate. "Anyway, you're just envious because he got a snack and you didn't."

"Humph! Those bits of meat would barely stick to my teeth," the Regal Copper huffed. "It will be a sad day when _I_ am envious of a Winchester!" He turned ponderously so he was facing away from Levitas.

"This food tastes different from a fresh cow," Levitas decided. "It isn't quite juicy enough, but the flavor is nice. Thank you, friend Emily."

"You're welcome," she nodded. "Levitas, I'm going to be very busy tomorrow. Moving the whole wing from one covert to another takes a lot of work, and they're going to be giving me orders all day. I won't be able to stay with you very much. But I promise I'll come and see you as much as I can, and don't worry – I won't forget about you! I promise."

"My captain forgot about me, sometimes," he said sadly.

"Yeah, we all know about that. But I'm not like him."

"No, friend Emily, you're not," he nodded. The exchange seemed to satisfy him. He curled back up and went to sleep.

The next day was, indeed, very busy. Celeritas gave them no respite, but threw them back into the rigors of a full training schedule as though there had been no interruption. In addition, he began shifting the dragons' positions in the wing, to take better advantage of Temeraire's newly-discovered sonic attack. Dulcia and Messoria were wondering why Temeraire wasn't given the lead position in the wing, now that he was arguably more powerful than Lily.

"We will sort all that out in time," Celeritas informed them. "For now, you are all accustomed to flying with Lily in the lead. Until I know a great deal more about what Temeraire can do, I am unwilling to make drastic changes in your formation training. Napoleon is not done with us by any means, and we must remain able to repel him at an hour's notice, This wing has had a good deal of practice fighting with Lily in the lead, and none with Temeraire. The humans have an expression – 'Do not change horses in midstream.' Lily and Captain Harcourt will remain in command of the wing for now."

"Why would someone change horses in midstream?" Messoria asked her friend after Celeritas had left.

"I do not understand that," Dulcia replied. "When I eat a horse, I consume the whole thing at one time, so there is no opportunity to change it."

The training-master stopped by Levitas' corner late on the third afternoon. "The doctor informs me that, in a week's time, you will be cleared to try some wing-strengthening exercises," he began without preamble.

"That will be nice," Levitas answered. "I very much want to fly again. But can you tell me something?"

"What would you like me to tell you?" Celeritas said.

"How do you go about your daily duties without a captain?"

Celeritas smiled. "We dragons do not require a human friend in order to function. We partner with the humans because, usually, it is better that way. I refused the most recent human partner they offered me because he was neglectful, arrogant, and a right scoundrel in fancy clothes. I had hoped that the other humans would take the hint and refrain from offering him another dragon. They saddled you with him instead, and that is my only regret. Once I had spent some time living on my own, I realized that I was quite happy without a rider. I am content this way, but most dragons could not be so content. Why do you ask? Do you intend to emulate me?"

"No, I don't want to go on without a captain," Levitas answered. "But I heard the other dragons talking, and they said that my friend Emily is expected to become Excidium's captain someday. That means there is no one who will want to ride me. I may _have_ to go on without a captain."

"Do not worry about that, little one," the training-master said. "The humans who want to ride dragons outnumber us by a great margin. They will surely find someone who will be happy to ride you and call you his own."

"But... suppose he neglects me? Friend Emily is not my captain, but she treats me better than anyone else. Now that I have felt her kindness, I see what kind of man Rankin really was. I still miss him, in a way, and yet..."

"You are still grieving over the loss of your rider," Celeritas said softly. "Just as your wings and muscles must heal, so your heart must heal also. And in the same way, the two kinds of healing cannot be hurried, or they will be incomplete and ineffective. Be content to enjoy the kindness that Emily offers you, and do not fret over future events that may not happen."

"I suppose that is good advice," Levitas said doubtfully.

Emily found a few minutes that evening to bid him good night. He asked her to tell him the story of the boy who climbed the magic beanstalk up to the clouds. "I would so love to fly high enough to touch the clouds," he said when she was done. "Would you fly that high with me, if you could?"

"It's the 'if I could' part that would be the hard part, you know," she said absently as she wiped the remains of his meal off his muzzle.

"I think I would rather stay on the ground with you than fly to the clouds without you," he added.

"Why, Levitas, that's the nicest thing anybody has said to me all week!" she exclaimed, and rubbed the base of his neck with both hands, the way he liked it. He closed his eyes and wriggled with delight, which made her smile. "I don't know if either of us can make that choice, but it's very nice to hear."


	5. Chapter 5

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 5

"How do your wings feel today, Levitas?" Emily asked brightly.

"They feel better," he answered, as he always did, but his eyes were on the burden she had brought him. "Is that a pig in that wheelbarrow?"

"It sure is," she grunted as she deposited the dead pig in front of him. "And it's all for you." That was the end of the conversation until after he'd devoured his meal. Like all dragons, he was a very messy eater; Emily preferred not to watch the process if she could help it. Also like all dragons, he much preferred his food to be very fresh. Killing an animal on the dragons' feeding grounds, and then laboriously wheeling it up to the courtyard by hand, took too long; Levitas always complained that it didn't taste right. So Emily had worked out an arrangement with Laurence and Temeraire. First, they tried having Temeraire kill an animal and bring it to Levitas. That offended the Winchester because he didn't want to feel like he had to be fed by another dragon. So now, the Celestial would kill the animal, carry it up to the covert on the wing, and drop it into the wheelbarrow near the courtyard. Emily would take over from there and deliver it to Levitas. This didn't bother him; he didn't mind if Emily fed him. Until the little dragon could fly and capture his own meals again, it was the only arrangement that seemed to work.

When he was finished, she took some damp rags and wiped him clean. He almost purred from the attention; he still was not accustomed to such kindness. She stepped back to check her handiwork, then asked him again, "How do your wings feel?"

"They feel better," he answered.

"Will you show me?" she asked. He replied by walking to the center of the courtyard, spreading his wings, and flapping them vigorously. Small puffs of dust and a few shed dragon scales went flying. "See?" he said proudly.

"Yes, I see," she nodded. "Everyone's hoping that they work like they used to. Celeritas, the training master, says he wants to see you as soon as your meal is done."

"Oh, that does not sound good," Levitas sighed. "Have I done something wrong?"

"I don't think so, seeing as how you haven't done anything at all," she replied. "I think he wants to see if your wing muscles have healed enough to try flying."

"Oh, I do hope so!" he burst out, his mood instantly changing from worried to optimistic. "Where is he?"

"Follow me," she nodded. She led him through the courtyard toward the cliffs at the edge of the covert, where the training-master was waiting for them. But their walking speeds were mismatched; Levitas kept getting ahead of her in his excitement, and then stopping to let her catch up.

At last, she asked, "Would it be all right if I rode on your back?"

"Of course, friend Emily!" He crouched and let her scramble aboard. He wore no harness, so she had to use his foreleg as a step, and then hold onto his neck to avoid falling off.

"Crew is aboard," she said formally. "Go straight until you reach the cliffs, then turn left." He did so, and soon saw Celeritas on the cliff edge, watching as they approached.

"Dismount, please," the training-master ordered, and she quickly obeyed. He paid her no further attention as he focused on Levitas. "You walk without a limp; that is encouraging," he began. "Stretch out your wings to their full span. Good; now fold them quickly. Yes, very good. Now, wings straight up. Higher, please. Is that as high as your left wing will go?"

"It still hurts a little when I do that," Levitas answered.

"I suppose that is to be expected," Celeritas replied. "I cannot clear you for unrestricted flight until you have full range of motion. But some basic exercises should do you no harm, and they will certainly improve your spirits. Five quick flaps, please." The Winchester did so, and almost rose off the ground. "Did that hurt at all?"

"No, not even a little," Levitas replied.

The training-master nodded. "Quite satisfactory, considering all that you have been through. I am clearing you for limited supervised flight."

The Winchester looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"

"It means you can fly again!" Emily explained.

"Correct," Celeritas added, "but you cannot leave the training grounds, and you must have another dragon in the air next to you, in case something goes wrong."

"I can fly again?" Levitas exclaimed. "Oh, friend Emily, that is the best news ever! Thank you for all the help you have given me. But who will fly with me?"

"You will not need a human rider for your test flights," the training-master said. "As for the dragon who will fly on your wing, I have made some special arrangements. Report back here after the people have had their lunches. You will be harnessed, and we shall see how you do in the air."

"Oh, I will. I will!" the little dragon exclaimed, wriggling all over with delight. "I'm going to fly again!" It was all Emily could do to persuade him to return to the courtyard and wait for a few hours.

When they returned to the cliffs, a small ground crew waited next to Celeritas with an assemblage of new leather straps, cables, and metal buckles. "Is that harness for me?" Levitas asked.

"It's not the harness you used to wear," Emily said as she slid off his back. "That one got too cut up and damaged by the French, the last time you wore it. This is a brand-new one, but they made it to the same measure as the old one, so it ought to fit." She stepped aside to allow the ground crew to put the harness on him.

"Wait," he said plaintively. "Friend Emily, will you put my harness on for me?"

"These men have had a lot more practice at it," she tried to explain.

"I would really like it if _you_ put it on," he said. Levitas was quite biddable, as dragons went, but he could be as stubborn as any if there was something he wanted, and he sorely wanted his friend to do the honors today.

Emily shrugged and turned to the ground crewmen. "I've never done a full harnessing before. Will you let me know if I make a mistake?" she asked them.

"I most surely will, you ambitious young upstart," came a familiar voice from around the corner.

"Mister... I mean Captain Hollin?" Emily was so surprised to see him again, now in the green-and-cream uniform of a Corps officer, that she quite forgot the task at hand.

"Friend Hollin!" Levitas echoed. "You came to see me again!"

"I came for that, and quite a bit more," Hollin exclaimed with a broad smile. "Betsy and I are the ones who will fly with you in the training grounds." From around the corner stepped a Yellow Reaper, still very young but already larger than Levitas. "Celeritas says it will be good practice for us, and we will be an encouragement to you."

"Levitas," Betsy said in an alto voice. "I am pleased to meet you. It is an honor to fly with a hero like you."

"Me? A hero?" Levitas wasn't expecting that. "I do not feel like a hero."

"Nevertheless, that's what you are," Hollin said, stroking the Winchester's neck easily. "You got through the French defenses, you got back alive, and you remembered enough of what you saw to help us guess at Napoleon's plans. If it wasn't for you, we'd all be eating snails by now."

"Ugh! I would not want to eat snails!" the Winchester said with a shudder. "Friend Hollin, it is so good to see you again! Today, I am to fly!"

"Yes, I know," Hollin said with a touch of amusement. "As soon as Cadet Roland stops gaping at me with her mouth hanging open, perhaps she can harness you and we can try out your wings." Emily snapped out of her daze and picked up the front of the harness. Levitas eagerly thrust his head and neck through the appropriate opening. Emily fastened the buckle on the main chest strap. "That's good, I think." Then she adjusted the frontal belly strap and set that buckle in place as well. She had to adjust it several times to get the correct fit. "There!" she finally said as she checked her handiwork.

Levitas was so eager to fly again that, when she said "There!" he thought she meant that the harness was completely fitted. With an excited cry, he spread his wings and leaped off the cliff... with the rear portions of the harness still flapping loose. Emily had been standing in the middle of that harness while she worked, and the rear belly strap caught her just behind the knees. Levitas took off with Emily dangling upside down beneath him.

She cried out in panic, reached up, and got a double fistful of the left side-strap. Celeritas saw the problem and bounded into the air behind them; Hollin ran and leaped onto Betsy's back, and they got airborne a few seconds later. But Emily was going to have to endure the first few seconds of this unplanned ride without help.

"Levitas!" she shouted. "Turn to the right!"

"Emily?" he asked, puzzled. "I hear you, but I cannot see –"

"TURN RIGHT!" she nearly screamed. He was unsure what was happening, but he obeyed her firm command. As he banked to the right, his left flank rose. That pressed the side-strap more tightly against himself, which reduced the slack and gave Emily better purchase for her grip. She laboriously pulled herself into an upright position, let go with one hand, and quickly snapped a carabinier onto the side strap. From there, she was able to drag herself up onto Levitas' back, one clip at a time, then forward to the usual riding position.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "How did you get here?"

"We'll call it a misunderstanding," she panted as she double-clipped herself in. "We weren't ready for you to take off. You need to fly back to the cliffs."

"Must I end my first flight so soon?" he sighed. "But why? You are safe with me. I will not drop you."

"It's your first flight in a month, and we don't know how strong your wings are," she tried to explain. "Celeritas said you shouldn't have a rider for your test flights."

"You are certainly not too heavy for me, friend Emily," he said, turning to face her. "I am happy to have you fly with me."

She tried a different approach. "Your harness is flapping loose from the front belly-strap on back. That's not safe, and it's against the rules. You have to go back and let me finish putting your harness on, or Celeritas will ground you for a week."

That threat had the desired effect. He turned back just as Celeritas caught up with them.

"Are you all right, Cadet Roland?" he called.

"Yes, sir, I'm fine," she answered, although she was still visibly pale and shaking. "We're going to land so I can finish hooking up his harness."

"And rightly so," he growled. "Levitas, your muscles may have healed, but is your mind all right? What were you thinking, endangering your rider in such a fashion?"

"I did not know that she was flying with me," Levitas tried to explain.

"It's true, sir," Emily added. "He wasn't trying to do anything bad. He was just excited to fly again."

"Levitas, excitement or not, you know the regulations," Celeritas scolded. "At least, you knew them in the past."

"Which rule do you mean?" Levitas asked, confused.

"Have you forgotten everything?" came Hollin's voice from the other side as Betsy overtook them. "What about the rule that says you must check your own harness and say, 'All lies well' before you even think of taking off?"

"Oh, my, yes," Levitas said, suddenly crestfallen. "I quite forgot about that."

"You have been too long on the ground, and too long out of practice," Celeritas decided. "Perhaps I let you back into the air too quickly." They all landed. Emily slid off Levitas' back, but her legs turned to jelly as her feet hit the ground. She clung to the nearest support she could find, which was Levitas' neck. Celeritas eyed her appraisingly.

"Cadet Roland, you showed great presence of mind just now. I foresee a fine future for you as Excidium's captain someday."

"Thank you, sir," she gasped.

He turned back to the Winchester. "Because you endangered Cadet Roland, I will let her choose your discipline," he decided. "I will overrule her only if I think she is being too lenient with you."

"Friend Emily, I am so very sorry!" Levitas burst out. "I never would have harmed you or frightened you."

"It's all right, I forgive you," she said, trying not to let her teeth chatter.

"There can be forgiveness, but some actions must still have consequences," Celeritas said firmly. "Cadet Roland, what punishment is appropriate for Levitas' breaking of the safety rules?"

Emily was in a terrible position. She didn't want to punish Levitas at all. But if she let him off the hook too easily, Celeritas would throw the book at him. She waited until she thought she could stand without falling over, let go of the dragon, and backed away a few steps. "Three days," she decided. "Three days on the ground, working with a ground crew and re-learning the basics of how to wear a harness. Then you can try flying again." She turned to Celeritas. "Is that all right?"

"I would have made it a week," the training-dragon said wryly. "But three days should be sufficient. The problem is that all my ground crews are needed to work with Lily's wing. I have no one I can spare to work with you for that length of time, so you may have to wait much longer than three days until a crew is free."

"Actually, you do have a crew, sir," Hollin cut in. "A crew of one. You assigned me and Betsy to work with Levitas for the next ten days. I can work with him on the ground just as well as I can in the air, can't I?"

Celeritas considered that for a moment. "Yes... yes, I suppose you can, if you are willing to lower yourself and undertake ground-crew work again. Very well, then. Levitas, you are grounded for three days. Captain Hollin will serve as your ground crew, and Roland will be your taskmaster. At the end of those three days, I will test you, to see if you really remember your rules and your safety procedures."

"I won't forget again," he said in a very small voice. Now that he realized what had just happened, he was quite shaken. Emily hadn't heard that sad tone of voice since he had begged Laurence and Hollin for some attention, back when Rankin was his captain.

"I certainly hope not," Celeritas rumbled. "I release you to the care of your cap – I mean, your... umm... your friend. Cadet Roland, see that he learns his lessons properly."

"I will, sir," she promised. "I don't ever want to go flying that way again."

 _She will never want to fly with me again at all,_ Levitas thought sadly.


	6. Chapter 6

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 6

The next three days dragged by for Levitas, but they flew by for Emily, even though she did not actually fly. She took Celeritas' instruction to be the Winchester's taskmaster seriously. At random intervals thoughout the day and night, she would burst into the courtyard and tell Levitas, "We're going flying! Right now!" Then she would watch his response, to be sure he would test his harness and pronounce it good before he would even think of letting her climb on board. She never did climb on board, of course, because he was grounded. But when he got it right (which he always did, after his initial lapse), she would praise him and rub the base of his neck. He would close his eyes and rumble in his throat, which was the draconic equivalent of purring.

She also kept Captain Hollin busy. Once or twice a day, she would ask him to remove Levitas' harness and then re-fasten it, so the dragon could go through a complete check of how all the straps felt. Hollin did not need the practice, of course; he could swap out a small harness like this one in his sleep. As for Emily, she always asked him respectfully to change the harness; she didn't give orders. She couldn't let herself get drunk with power, not when he was now a Captain and she a mere cadet, to say nothing of the age difference between them. The three of them worked well together. At the end of the third day, Hollin pronounced Levitas fit to try flying again.

"Will Celeritas agree?" the dragon asked nervously. "He grounded me once for a simple mistake."

"If you make no more simple mistakes like the last one, then he will let you fly," Hollin reassured him. "It appears to me that you have re-learned your old, good habits, so I am not worried on your behalf."

"You'll do fine," Emily added. She scrambled onto his back and they walked together to the cliffs where the training-master dragon waited for them.

"No human riders on the first flight, please," Celeritas ordered. Emily quickly unclipped and dismounted, unwilling to cause any problems for Levitas on this critical occasion. "Thank you. Levitas, wings straight up, please." Levitas did so. "You still cannot raise the left wing fully? I fear it may never completely heal. That is unfortunate. Oh, well; whenever you are ready."

The Winchester shook his harness and announced, "All lies well," even though it wasn't a critical matter because no one was riding him. Then he leaped off the cliff, spread his wings, and soared upward. Betsy and Hollin had difficulty keeping up with him. He carefully stayed well within the training grounds, but when he wasn't veering away from the boundaries, he was the picture of unfettered joy.

Betsy finally overtook him. Captain Hollin called out some simple maneuvers that Celeritas wanted the Winchester to perform, and Levitas did so without difficulty. When the training-master had seen enough, he called them all back to the cliffs. There, he said, "Levitas, that was good. Now we will test your procedures for flying with your captain."

"My... what?" Levitas stammered, taken aback.

"My apologies. That was inappropriate; I am not sure how I should describe Cadet Roland. Levitas, you will now fly with your friend."

"Oh," Levitas finally said. "Friend Emily, are you willing to fly with me again?"

"Yes, of course," she said matter-of-factly as she approached him. "But not upside-down." His heart soared! Again he shook his harness out and announced that all was well. She climbed onto his back easily, clipped on, paused to test him, and finally announced, "Crew is aboard." Only then did he spread his wings and fly.

Emily had ridden on Temeraire a few times. She'd ridden on Excidium with her mother so he could begin to get to know her, she had taken some short flights on other dragons like Maximus when their captains were in a good mood, and of course she had taken that quick, unscheduled flight with Levitas three days ago. This was her first solo flight. He was much smaller than the other dragons she had ridden, but he accelerated more quickly, and the feeling of power was intoxicating. She leaned forward and murmured, "Can you go faster?" Levitas' wings bit into the air as he accelerated; they swiftly left Betsy behind. They were getting close to the boundaries of the training grounds, so he dipped a wing and swept into a banked turn. Her short hair was standing out nearly straight behind her, she had to squint into the wind of their forward motion... and she wished that this moment never had to end. She raised a fist and whooped in triumph, and it mattered not whether Hollin or Betsy heard her.

Then Levitas straightened, backwinged, and glided toward the cliffs. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Celeritas says I must land," he answered. "Did you not hear him?"

"All I heard was the wind rushing in my ears," she said. "I suppose your ears are better than mine." They glided down smoothly, and Levitas made a near-perfect landing. Laurence and Temeraire, and her mother and Excidium, were waiting for them, along with Celeritas, Hollin, and Betsy.

Celeritas was still all business. "Cadet Roland, did you notice any irregularities in Levitas' flight?"

"Sir, there was a slight hitch when he turned to the left," she answered as she dismounted and patted her hair back into place. "Nothing else." She marveled that she had noticed anything at all, beyond the pure exhilaration of flight. She wondered how it would feel to ride Excidium and feel that kind of power under her own control.

"Excellent, all things considered," the training-master nodded. "Then I suppose it is time for you to repair to the Pen Y Fan breeding ground, Levitas."

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Levitas had been so excited to fly again; this news hit him like a faceful of ice-cold water.

"Just like that?" Emily was also stunned at this development.

"Dragons without captains cannot stay in the training area, which is only for dragons who are actively serving England," Celeritas explained. "Have no worries, Levitas; you will be well-fed and cared for, and you will be provided with mates from time to time. The place is called 'the breeding ground' for a reason."

"I cannot have a captain?" the little dragon whimpered. "Ever?"

"I know of no one who desires that position," Celeritas declared. "Without full use of both wings, you cannot return to active duty, and the Admiral will not ruin a promising man's career by assigning him to a dragon who is unable to serve. Chin up, now! You will make many new friends in the breeding ground; it is not as though you are being sent into solitary confinement."

"But I like people," he sniffed. "Even if some people don't like me, I still like being with people."

Emily began to say something, but she suddenly felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "Think carefully, Emily. Think about your destiny. You were born to be a Longwing's captain."

Emily glanced at Laurence. "I will give you no orders, Emily, and I can offer you no advice."

Temeraire added, "You must do what is best."

"Thank you, but that's not much help," Emily complained. She looked sadly at Levitas, but said nothing more.

"Let us go, Levitas," Hollin said as he climbed onto Betsy's back. "We will escort you to the breeding ground and make certain that you are properly received there. Then they will remove your harness and you will begin your new life there. Shall we go?"

"In a moment," Levitas said sadly. He turned to face Emily. "My friend, you have been very good to me. I fear I will not see you again. Will you promise to remember me?"

"Of course I will!" she burst out as she flung her arms around the dragon's neck. Laurence thought he heard her sniffling, but she mastered it. She let go and backed away. Levitas took one more look at his friends, then resolutely launched himself into the air. Betsy flapped upwards at the same time, and the two dragons curved around to the south and set off on their journey without looking back.

"I suppose that ended well enough," Laurence commented.

"Indeed," Celeritas nodded. "The dragon could have died from his injuries, or he could have been crippled and flightless. But he showed great strength, both physically and mentally, as he recovered. I think the breeders will be glad to extend his bloodline. England needs more dragons like him."

"Well said," Jane agreed. "Emily, you also did well, nursing that dragon back to health. Perhaps it is time for you to resume your usual duties now." She got no response. "Emily?"

Emily was looking away to the south. "Mother, no," she said firmly. "Temeraire says I should do what is best. Sending Levitas away is _not_ what is best. It's not best for him, and it's not best for me."

"Don't throw your future away!" the senior Roland warned her. "Your whole life needs to stay focused on becoming Excidium's rider someday. Nothing you could ever do for England, or for me, could ever be more important than fulfilling your destiny."

"Mother, I agree with that last part." She pointed to the south. "But my destiny just went that way." Then she turned to Laurence. "Sir, for just a couple of minutes, I was a dragon's captain. Celeritas even said so. As one captain to another, I'm asking you for a favor."

"What cheek!" Celeritas exclaimed, and Jane Roland nodded.

Temeraire disagreed. "Is it not a good thing that she knows what she wants and is unafraid to ask for it?"

Laurence glanced up at his dragon and managed a smile. "Very well, Emily; in these unusual circumstances, I shall humor you. What is it that you want of me?"

 **o**

Levitas flew in sullen silence. Betsy and Hollin repeatedly tried to draw him into conversation, and they repeatedly failed. He paid no attention to the scenery as it rolled by beneath them. Even the sight of a herd of cows could not catch his notice. He flew with his eyes half-closed, staring straight ahead. Hollin gave up.

He could understand the dragon's depression, to a certain extent. But how else could his story end? England desperately needed every dragon she could get, but an unhealed injury that affected flight was a disqualifier. Who could guess what effect that injury might have on a long flight, or in the heat of battle? Hollin tried to imagine living in a place where he was given free food and plenty of willing women... but if it meant giving up Betsy, he would decline the offer without a moment's thought. Yes, he could understand the dragon's position. But Levitas had no captain and no prospects of gaining one. Surely this was for the best.

Neither dragon was looking behind them; they had no reason to. Both dragons where shocked when a huge shadow swept across them, and a violent roar from just above them added to their fear. Betsy, like most Yellow Reapers, reflexively panicked and dove for the ground. Levitas did not have that innate response to an attack from above, and his mind wasn't fully alert anyway. He looked back to find the source of the roar.

"Temeraire?" he asked, confused.

"Prepare to be boarded and surrender!" the Celestial shouted back. He put on a burst of speed and overtook the Winchester, who was still too mentally fogged to take any kind of evasive action. A slim figure hung off Temeraire's larboard side as he passed over Levitas; that figure dropped lightly onto his back and clipped herself onto his harness.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed.

"Friend Emily? Why are you here? I don't understand."

"It's simple," she said matter-of-factly. "You want a captain, right? Well, now you've got one. If you'll have me, that is."

"You would choose me over Excidium?" Levitas was struggling to understand all this. "But why, Emily? He is so much bigger than me, and so much more powerful!"

"So what?" she shrugged. "He might be bigger and more powerful than you are, but he's not as nice as you are. If I'm going to spend all my life with a dragon, then it ought to be a dragon I can get along with, right? I like you, and you like me, so we ought to be together. To me, that's all that matters. Just promise me you won't do any more flying with me hanging upside-down, okay?"

"But what about your career?" he begged. "And what about Excidium? You will have no future, and he will have no rider."

"Laurence says he has an idea about my career," she answered. "I trust him. As for Excidium, he's my mother's worry; she'll come up with something. Now, will you have me as your captain, or won't you?"

"I will," he said, and blinked hard. "With all my heart, I will!"

"Good," she said with satisfaction as she stroked the base of his neck. "Now, let's catch up with Betsy and tell Captain Hollin what's going on. Then we need to turn back. We've got some training to do, and we're headed in the wrong direction."

"I hear and obey, my captain!" Levitas answered proudly as he spiraled down toward Betsy's distant form. "Oh, I love saying that. 'My captain!' " A full smile crossed his face. His name meant "light-hearted," and now, for the first time since his hatching, he was living up to his name. His joy was contagious; as they overtook Betsy, Emily was smiling too.


	7. Chapter 7

**A Different Destiny** Chapter 7

The Winchester's unexpected reappearance at the training covert caused a good deal of consternation. "Levitas, you were under orders to report to the breeding ground," Celeritas reminded him sharply.

"Sir, he got those orders because he had no captain," Emily said as she dismounted and stood at attention before him. "But those orders don't apply anymore. Dragons with captains don't belong on the breeding ground."

"He accepted you?" the training-master asked. Emily and Levitas both nodded happily. "Well, this is a complication, although not entirely unexpected. You are quite young to take on the responsibility of caring for a dragon, Miss Roland; yet you are not the youngest ever to do so, and all the humans speak well of you. Another issue is that women are meant to serve as captains on Longwings, not on the other species. But, if I recall the regulations correctly, there isn't actually a prohibition against it; those regulations are more guidelines than actual rules. I already know that your mother is mildly displeased, but not utterly hostile to the idea. The dragon's wishes, of course, are usually paramount. I must consider this matter. In the meantime, I see that Hollin and Betsy returned with you. What became of Laurence and Temeraire?"

"They took a flight south to explain things to Admiral Lenton, sir," she answered crisply. "He said he hoped they'd be back before nightfall."

"Will his explanation to the Admiral include an explanation of how you intend to serve on a dragon who is not cleared for unrestricted flight?"

"He said yes, it will. He said he would probably bring you some new orders about me and Levitas when he came back. In the meantime, have you got any orders for us?"

"I have nothing in my training schedule for either of you," Celeritas admitted. "Levitas, pray remain in the area; I may use you later in the day to deliver a message to the men at the far end of the training grounds. As for you, Cadet Roland... no, I mean Captain Roland. I can no longer order you about like an ordinary runner, even though you have not yet been confirmed in your new rank. For today, join Commander Barstow's class on signal flags. If and when Captain Laurence brings me new orders for you, then you shall be the first to know."

"Yes, sir!" she acknowledged as she scampered off. Levitas watched her go, then took off smoothly and circled, looking for a sunny ledge where he could rest.

 **o**

"I am sure your cadet thinks she has done a good thing," Admiral Lenton began impatiently. "But England cannot waste her resources on unproductive dragons. Please explain to me, if you can, how this semi-active dragon will earn his room and board."

"That is not difficult, sir," Laurence explained. "Up until now, Emily has served in my crew as a runner. Now, she and Levitas will both fill that role."

"A runner?" Lenton echoed. "You intend to turn a dragon into a runner? Pray, make yourself clear."

"I don't suggest that Emily and Levitas will serve as ordinary runners, fulfilling errands for each dragon's captain," Laurence went on. "I suggest that the two of them will serve as liaisons between Lily's wing and the commanding authority, which would mean yourself. He is perfectly fit for day-to-day flying, so he can deliver messages on the wing. Imagine, if you will, how convenient it would be to receive status reports from a flying patrol while it is still in the air! Levitas can bring you word of what we have encountered, and bring back orders in a timely fashion. Your ability to command and control us will be multiplied several times over."

The admiral considered that. "Yes, I can see the advantages to such an arrangement. But there are two details that must be resolved. It would be beneath a dragon's dignity to style him a runner. And I cannot, in good conscience, promote Cadet Roland to the rank of captain if she is not riding a fully-functional dragon."

"Those are resolved easily enough, sir," Laurence said. "Instead of calling Levitas a runner, I suggest that you call him an auxiliary dragon. That accurately describes his function with no hint of his being a servant or an unworthy member of the Corps. As for Emily, were you to make her a lieutenant instead of a captain, I am sure she would offer no complaints."

"A lieutenant? Aye, that will work. Do you suggest this so that your former runner will not equal you in rank?"

"No, sir. I suggest it so that my former runner will not equal her mother in rank. That would be a complication with which I have no desire to involve myself."

Lenton grinned. "You are a wise man, Laurence. Very well. Remain in the vicinity until I send for you. I shall draft some new training orders for Lieutenant Roland and her auxiliary dragon, which you will deliver to the Loch Laggan training covert when you return there tonight." He looked thoughtful. "While you are here and otherwise unoccupied, perhaps you could search the breeding-ground records for other dragons who are mildly injured but otherwise willing to serve. I am thinking that I may wish to assign auxiliary dragons to all of our fighting wings."

"I could do that, sir," Laurence said quickly, "but I have already received a summons to appear before Captain Roland. I assume that she wants an update on her daughter's situation. Shall I tell her that you have countermanded her order?"

"No, not at all," Lenton said dismissively. "I have a secretary for the sort of work I suggested. I merely meant to keep you occupied, had you nothing else to do, but it seems that Captain Roland has forestalled me. Pray give her my greetings. You are dismissed. Return before the striking of the four o'clock bell, if you would be so very kind."

"Yes, sir," Laurence nodded. He rose, made a quick salute, and left for Jane's quarters. She had actually invited him to join her for an afternoon glass of wine, but he had no intention of telling the Admiral that.

As it turned out, she had something on her mind that had nothing whatsoever to do with wine.

As they lay together afterwards, she brushed a few stray hairs out of his face. "You never disappoint me, Will," she smiled. "Let us see if you are as successful in this new endeavour."

"New endeavor?" he asked, puzzled.

"Surely you didn't think I called you all this way for a mere dalliance?" she explained. "Excidium will need a rider someday, someone who reminds him of me. My first attempt at providing that rider chose to ride another dragon, through no fault of my own. So today, we have started a second attempt. Congratulations, 'daddy.' "

He gulped. He had not considered that possibility at all.

"Oh, don't worry," she went on casually. "I won't tell her that you are the father unless you are willing for her to know. Over the years, we've learned to be discreet about these matters. Your life can go on as it was, or you can be involved in her life; I will leave the choice to you. She will be raised by foster parents until she is old enough to join the Corps as a cadet and a runner, much like Emily... except that I hope this one does not change her course so radically as Emily did."

"I... I suppose you have the whole thing planned out," he stammered. "But what if it is all for nought? What if you bear a son instead?"

Jane shrugged. "Excidium is not the only dragon who will need another rider someday. If I bear you a son, then he will become Temeraire's future captain, and you and I will try again in a year or two to make my own replacement." She kissed him lightly. "I don't much mind being in the family way, and I still have a few good years left in me. Why are you frowning?"

"It all seems so... impersonal," he admitted.

"It may seem impersonal to you and me," she answered softly, "but to our dragons, it is intensely personal. My first love and loyalty will always be to Excidium, and I'll place his needs and his well-being above all others. You do understand that, don't you, William?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I do understand that much."

 **o**

"...so, to sum up," Laurence said, "you and Levitas will fly as messengers for Lily's wing, and you are to be promoted to Lieutenant. That is quite a step up from your former rank of Cadet."

"I won't let it go to my head, sir," Emily promised.

"You were always a sensible girl, Emily. I mean, Lieutenant Roland. Be a sensible dragon-rider, and you will do well. Oh, I bought some presents for you while I was in London, in honor of your promotion. Temeraire suggested them." He handed her two identically wrapped parcels.

She quickly unwrapped the first one, and her face fell. It was a book: "Basic Latin Grammar."

"It will give you something to read on long flights," Laurence explained. "I know it is not especially exciting, but you will be surprised how useful it will be, once you have worked at it for a bit."

She wasn't as quick to unwrap the second gift, but her face brightened when she saw its cover. It was another book, a collection of children's fairy tales.

"Now _this_ is something I'll use on those long flights! Thank you, sir. This will keep Levitas happy, and it'll keep me from going out of my mind from repeating the same four stories over and over." Then she turned excitedly to Levitas. "Did you hear the news, Levvy? I'm a lieutenant now!"

Levitas smiled a gentle draconic smile and nuzzled his face against her shoulder. "I am happy for you, Lieutenant. But to me, you will always be my captain."

 **o**

 _Epilogue_

Lt. Roland and Levitas fulfilled their role handsomely, and justified Admiral Lenton's willingness to experiment with auxiliary dragons for fighting wings. Once word of their success had spread around the Aerial Corps, the leaders of the other wings all wanted their own auxiliaries. This set off a minor stampede among ambitious young cadets who were not in line to harness a fighting dragon. They used their leave time to descend on the breeding grounds, in search of dragons with minor injuries who might accept a new captain and become a Corps auxiliary. No less than four dragons (three Greylings and another Winchester) were plucked out of involuntary retirement and returned to usefulness and active duty (and a happy life) as auxiliaries, flown by ex-cadets with the new rank of lieutenant.

When the Dragon Plague struck the dragons of England, Levitas came down with a mild case. He begged to be allowed to go to Africa with the rest of his wing, but healthy dragons were so scarce in England that he was kept at home and put on patrol duty. The other dragons marveled at his fearlessness when confronting French patrols. He explained, "I have already faced the worst that they can do to me, and I have survived. What else is there to fear?" His only concern was that a boarder might threaten Emily. But the first French boarder who tried it was run through the middle by Emily's sword, and she tripped the second one and kicked him over the side when they were half a mile up. Once Levitas saw how well Emily could take care of herself, he ceased to fear so intensely for her, and they became an effective fighting team.

When Laurence and Temeraire returned from France after delivering the mushroom antidote to them, Levitas and Emily were the only English forces to greet the traitor in the air as he returned to English soil. "Sir, there's a lot of people waiting for you on the ground who aren't happy with you," she called. "But I think you did the right thing."

Shortly after this, Celeritas examined Levitas again and found that his wing had finally healed completely. He and the newly-promoted Captain Roland were assigned to courier duty, but it soon became painfully clear that Roland was temperamentally unsuited to such work. They were assigned to Lily's wing as light fighters instead, and here, they found their niche. They became boarding specialists, taking advantage of the Winchester's ability to fly great distances without flapping, which made them nearly undetectable to other dragons. They would carry one skilled boarder into the air, silently swoop in behind one of the French one-man dragons like a Roi-de-Vitesse or a Chasseur-Vocifere, and drop their boarder. He would nearly always succeed in surprising and imprisoning that dragon's rider, thus taking the dragon prisoner as well. They did this repeatedly, which slightly reduced the French advantage in numbers, added more variety to the English breeding stock... and made Emily Roland rather wealthy from her share of the prize money for capturing all those dragons. She shared that money with Levitas, buying him a gold ring or a golden coin every time they took a prize. He wore his treasures with pride on his harness, and could describe in detail how he and his beloved captain had won each of them.

Jane Roland did indeed bear Will Laurence a son, whom she named Peter. They tried again in a year and a half, and this time, the senior Roland was delivered of a little blonde girl named Mary Beth, Excidium's future rider. The two young riders, and their older sister Emily, grew up quite close and enjoyed flying their dragons together when their duties permitted it. They served England for the rest of their days, sometimes in an unconventional manner, but always with skill and honor.

 _The End_

 **o**

 _A/N_  
 _The idea for this story hit me between the eyes when I was pondering what I ought to write next. It's not my first Temeraire story, or my longest one (that would be "Every Thorn Has Its Rose" on both counts), but the idea was too good to ignore. I suppose this tale falls into the "fluff" category, but it was fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed reading it._

 _I think I have a soft spot in my heart for dragons; I don't like to see a good one die. When that happens, I often write a story that saves that dragon's life. So far, I've written four such stories; this one, and three in the HTTYD genre, rescuing the Snowy Bewilderbeast from the second movie ("Bewilderment" and "Telling Them Apart") and an unnamed Deadly Nadder from the Cressida Cowell book "How to Be A Pirate" ("A Nadder's Mystery")._

 _On May 25, 2017, this story crossed the 500-hit mark. That's not much compared to some of my other stories, but for a short tale in a small fandom, it makes me happy._

 _October 5, 2017: 1000-plus hits. Thank you to all my readers._


End file.
